The packaging of medical items intended for use in surgury frequently involves the use of a double sterile package, that is, an inner package containing the item and being sealed and sterilized and an outer package enclosing the inner package and also being sealed and sterilized. With an item such as a hip joint prosthesis which is relatively heavy, the item must be firmly restrained against movement within the package, necessitating the use of specially configured containers. As such items are available in a wide range of sizes, for example one hip joint replacement element is available in more than seventy sizes, the provision of suitable packaging can entail considerable expense in inventory and in the obtaining of regulatory approval for the packaging.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a package for medical items which are provided in a range of sizes which package can be adapted to accomodate various sized items.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a medical item package in which a single basic package assembly need be approved and inventoried.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of such a medical item package which securely retains the packaged item and which maintains a double sterile condition.